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W. G. BARKER.

SPRING BALANCE.

No. 67,482. Patented Aug. 6, 1867.

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WILLIAM G. BARKER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Letters Pateiit No. 67,482, dated Augustfi, 1867.

' IMPROVEMENT IN SPRING-BALANCES.

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T0 WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. BARKER, of Detroit, in the county of Wayne, and State of Michigan, have invented an improved Spring-Balance; and I do hereby declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an external view of the spring-balance.

Figure 2 is a sectional -view, showing the interior construction of the balance.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement of the construction of spring-balances or pressuregauges for locomotive and other engine boilers. It consists in connecting the upper end of the gauge-spring. to a screw-rod by means of a swivel-joint, and passing this red through the head of the case or barrel in such.

manner that the strength of the spring can be increased or diminished at pleasure, and so that any loss in the action of the spring can be compensated for by a very simple adjustment, as will be hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the cylindrical easelof the instrument, having a cap, Af, screwed upon its upper end, through the axis of which is tapped a hole for receiving-a screw-rod,'13.- The lower end of this cylindrical case A has a cap, F, screwed upon it, through which a rectangular hole is made for receiving the graduated strip E, and allowing this strip to play freely. To the upper end of the strip E a.

helical spring, C, is suitably attached, the upper end of which is similarly attached. to the lug Z) of a socket piece, I), as shown in fig. 2. The socket in this piece I) is drilled out, so as to receive within it the cylindrical lower end of the screw-rod B, which end has anannular groove cut in it for receiving pins a a, which pass transversely through the socket-piece, and thus connect the latter'to the screw-rod, so that either can rotate independently of the other. This forms a kind of swivel-joint, and allows the screw-rod to be turned without turning or twisting the spring C. The screw-rod B screws through the cap A, and receives upon it above this cap a jamb-nut, B, by means of which said rod'can be secured against casually turning. Above-the nut D and near the upper end of the screw-rod B is'a flanged collar, which is also screwed upon this rod, as shown in.figs.,1 and 2, the object of which is to connect the balance with its valve-lever, and admit 'of its being detached therefrom at pleasure. The lower end of the graduated strip is attached to any fixed object on the boiler by the usual or any other suitable means. 1

It will be seen from the above description that when the spring C becomes weak in consequence of long. use that the nut D can be loosened, and the screw-rod B turned, until the spring is again brought to its proper strain, after which the nut D should be set up against the cap A again, to hold the screw-rod in its place. This work can be done by my improvement in a few minutes', whereas it would require several hours to make a similar adjustment by the old mode of constructing the balances. By a very simple alteration and addition the improvement can be applied to the. old forms of balancesor gauges,'so that they may be adjusted so as to compensate for weakness of their springs.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- A spring-balance, having its spring C connected at oneendto an adjusting screw, 13, by means ofa swivel connection, so that said spring can be more or less extended by turning said screws, substantially as and for the purpose described.

WILLIAM G. BARKER.

Witnesses:

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